When companies first started acquiring their own computer systems, it was an obvious step to customize their systems to the type of business they were involved in. Thus, grocery companies had a data structure suitable for storing grocery inventories, whereas car companies had a structure suitable for storing parts and layout.
At the emergence of the paperless office it has become increasingly important that a large variety of companies be able to communicate with each other. Since their data structures were incompatible, the field of electronic data interchange (EDI) developed.
EDI involves exchange of information between computer systems, thus eliminating the need for human intervention for routine document exchanges. The protocol in such a system is a complex hierarchical structure representing basic business documents with multiple industries and multiple nations involved in the specification and usage of the documents. Due to multiple usages of a single document (field content sensitivity) and protocol mandated validation/editing requirements, each update to the protocol (quarterly to annually) requires code modifications to existing translation products.
In essence, EDI is achieved by having a company which is sending information translated into a generic format (such as ANSI X.12) and the company receiving it translates from that format into the in-house data structure. Thus, information can be sent directly between computers with incompatible data structures.
Existing translation products are increasingly required to integrate into an existing applications environment which requires extensive control over the ability to accept and disseminate data from more than a single system.
In the art, table driven translators are considered state of the art. One such product is offered by Supply Tech, Inc. of Southfield, Michigan. This translator includes X.12/TDCC transaction sets that uses table for both protocol data as well as a flat file for interfacing to applications.
The Chrysler Corporation of Highland Park, Michigan utilizes a fast batch application interface which requires custom programming for interactive EDI i.e. passing data to an application and awaiting a response. This is a custom developed solution.
Another translation product is offered by Merit Systems, Inc. of Troy, Michigan. This product utilizes the translation capability of Release Management Systems, Inc. of Livonia, Michigan and offers IBM host connectivity through use of Tandem Computers 3270 capabilities, i.e. passing and collecting EDI data through use of programmable terminal interface capabilities.
The above-noted software product as well as all of the known software products are limited in the EDI translation capabilities, such as (1) limited protocol adaptability; (2) custom programming required for field content sensitivity processing; and (3) interface capabilities limited to custom solutions.